New Tank, New Hatchling, Cloudy Water

[Teetertotter]

I have a new Southern Painted Turtle that is one inch that is in the second day in his tank. The treated water was 2 days old and is now cloudy in 1-1/2 days. The tank is 30 X 13 X 13 with 10 gallons of water or 8" in depth. The water is NOT super cloudy. Turtle waste would not be an issue as hatchling and two day old treated water. I used Zilla water Conditioner with 5ml to 5 gallons of water per instructions. Maybe use 10ml to 5 gallons to take care of the tap water chemicals? Or empty 50% of the water and add new treated city tape water?

There is only an artificial tall leafy plant in the tank with Fluval U2 30 gal filter, heater, a floating basking dock, heater, UVB and heat lamps. I am open to suggestions. I am new to this game and your suggestions are welcomed.

 

[counting]

I don't have turtles, but in a fish tank if you add an animal to a tank you will get clouded water unless the tank has already been cycled. It's the ammonia cycle starting, and the cloud you are seeing is the "bloom".
I'm not sure how that would affect a turtle.

 

[Teetertotter]

I have a new Southern Painted Turtle that is one inch that is in the second day in his tank. The treated water was 2 days old and is now cloudy in 1-1/2 days. The tank is 30 X 13 X 13 with 10 gallons of water or 8" in depth. The water is NOT super cloudy. Turtle waste would not be an issue as hatchling and two day old treated water. I used Zilla water Conditioner with 5ml to 5 gallons of water per instructions. Maybe use 10ml to 5 gallons to take care of the tap water chemicals? Or empty 50% of the water and add new treated city tape water?

There is only an artificial tall leafy plant in the tank with Fluval U2 30 gal filter, heater, a floating basking dock, heater, UVB and heat lamps. I am open to suggestions. I am new to this game and your suggestions are welcomed.

 

[counting]

In fish you just have to let it cycle at which point it goes clear, or get a mulmy sponge to put in your filter. That's a sponge that has a beneficial bacteria (ammonia neutralizing bacteria) colony already established. Again I DO NOT have a water turtle. And haven't since I was a child. I'm sure experienced members will chime in.

 

[Teetertotter]

I just heard back from Fluval, filter mfg, and told me it should clear up in a week. They suggested to add a liquid form of beneficial bacteria into the tank and a conditioner, which a pet store should have. Is there a particular band name I should buy for these TWO products.

They said, "By no means do not change the water or any of the media filters.

 

[JoesMum]

We use this in our tropical aquarium

 

[JoesMum]

And this as a water conditioner

 

[JoesMum]

And finally this

 

[Teetertotter]

JoesMum, Thank you for your valued specific information. Buddy is doing well and hangs out in a tall, bright yellow, leafy, artifical plant. He has yet to figure out the floating dock, but investigating every once in a while. Soon, he will probably figure it out and only in his second day. Thanks all for your replies. The 1" Southern Painted Turtle is active and fun to watch from my kitchen laptop, 8 feet away.

 

[Teetertotter]

JoesMum, Thank you for your valued specific information. Buddy is doing well and hangs out in a tall, bright yellow, leafy, artifical plant. He has yet to figure out the floating dock, but investigating every once in a while. Soon, he will probably figure it out and only in his second day. Thanks all for your replies. The 1" Southern Painted Turtle is active and fun to watch from my kitchen laptop, 8 feet away.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Good information above. It's called "new tank syndrome" in the hobby.
In the future, when you do water and filter changes, leave some of the old substrate in the filter.

 

[Teetertotter]

This morning, my water is NOT cloudy as I thought. We have extremely hard water and white substance is building up on the inside walls of the glass tank. My only option is to buy purified water at our grocery store, which I will do, besides cleaning or replacing the 3 water filters. Dang city water!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

What kind of filter do you have?
There are water softening packs for cannister filters and reverse osmosis filters that aren't very expensive that remove all minerals.

 

[Moozillion]

What kind of filter do you have?
There are water softening packs for cannister filters and reverse osmosis filters that aren't very expensive that remove all minerals.

Ed, will the water softening packs prevent the line that forms on the glass wall of the tank where the air meets the water surface?

 

[JoesMum]

Ed, will the water softening packs prevent the line that forms on the glass wall of the tank where the air meets the water surface?

Yes they do help. We have horrible water here.

We now have a household water softener as the limescale was wrecking taps, toilets, showers and machines. On balance it was cheaper to get the water coming into the house softened. We only have hard water outside and to the cold tap in the kitchen so we can use softened water in the aquarium from our utility room. I don't even have to put salt in the dishwasher now

 

[Teetertotter]

That said, for sure, can water softener water be used for the aquarium? If so, what type conditioner should be added. I would think the iron would still be present that is putting a coating on my inside walls of the tank at and below the water level. Salt in the water would harm a fresh water turtle?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The water softener I was referring to is made and sold for fish tanks. The type I'd used came in a sachet and was placed into the filter. It was also reusable. But I don't recall the procedure.
(I had horrible well water at my South Carolina home.)
I ended up buying a multi filter system that treated the whole house.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Ed, will the water softening packs prevent the line that forms on the glass wall of the tank where the air meets the water surface?

I would imagine, yes.

 

[wellington]

Be very careful adding all kinds of additives to aquarium water. A lot of it is junk or not needed. Just like in the tortoise world where things are sold to you that aren't really good, the same goes for fish and aquariums. I would use the cycle that is pictured and a stress coat. Nothing else. Every time you add fish or clean the aquarium add the cycle and stress coat. Follow the directions on the bottle.

 

[wellington]

Be very careful adding all kinds of additives to aquarium water. A lot of it is junk or not needed. Just like in the tortoise world where things are sold to you that aren't really good, the same goes for fish and aquariums. I would use the cycle that is pictured and a stress coat. Nothing else. Every time you add fish or clean the aquarium add the cycle and stress coat. Follow the directions on the bottle.

Wait if this is for a turtle, then the fish stuff I listed and that is pictured should not be used. Use only water is made for turtles.